T cell receptors (TCRs) and antibodies are molecules that have evolved to recognize different classes of antigens (ligands)((Murphy (2012), xix, 868 p.)). TCRs are antigen-specific molecules that are responsible for recognizing antigenic peptides presented in the context of a product of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the surface of antigen presenting cells (APCs) or any nucleated cell (e.g., all human cells in the body, except red blood cells). In contrast, antibodies typically recognize soluble or cell-surface antigens, and do not require presentation of the antigen by an MHC. This system endows T cells, via their TCRs, with the potential ability to recognize the entire array of intracellular antigens expressed by a cell (including virus proteins) that are processed intracellularly into short peptides, bound to an intracellular MHC molecule, and delivered to the surface as a peptide-MHC complex (pepMHC). This system allows virtually any foreign protein (e.g., mutated cancer antigen or virus protein) or aberrantly expressed protein to serve a target for T cells (reviewed in (Davis and Bjorkman (1988) Nature, 334, 395-402; Davis et al. (1998) Annu Rev Immunol, 16, 523-544; Murphy (2012), xix, 868 p.)).
The interaction of a TCR and a pepMHC can drive the T cell into various states of activation, depending on the affinity (or dissociation rate) of binding. The TCR recognition process allows a T cell to discriminate between a normal, healthy cell and, e.g., one that has become transformed via a virus or malignancy, by providing a diverse repertoire of TCRs, wherein there is a high probability that one or more TCRs will be present with a binding affinity for the foreign peptide bound to an MHC molecule that is above the threshold for stimulating T cell activity (Manning and Kranz (1999) Immunology Today, 20, 417-422).
To date, wild type TCRs isolated from either human or mouse T cell clones that were identified by in vitro culturing have been shown to have relatively low binding affinities (Kd=1-300 μM) (Davis et al. (1998) Annu Rev Immunol, 16, 523-544). Part of the explanation for this seems to be that T cells that develop in the thymus are negatively selected (tolerance induction) on self-pepMHC ligands, such that T cells with too high of an affinity are deleted (Starr et al. (2003) Annu Rev Immunol, 21, 139-76). To compensate for these relatively low affinities, T cells have evolved a co-receptor system in which the cell surface molecules CD4 and CD8 bind to the MHC molecules (class II and class I, respectively) and synergize with the TCR in mediating signaling activity. CD8 is particularly effective in this process, allowing TCRs with very low affinity (e.g., Kd=300 μM) to mediate potent antigen-specific activity.
In vitro, directed evolution has been used to generate TCRs with higher affinity for a specific pepMHC. The three different display methods that have been used are yeast display (Holler et al. (2003) Nat Immunol, 4, 55-62; Holler et al. (2000) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 97, 5387-92), phage display (Li et al. (2005) Nat Biotechnol, 23, 349-54), and T cell display (Chervin et al. (2008) J Immunol Methods, 339, 175-84). In all three approaches, the process involves engineering, or modifying, a TCR that exhibits the normal, low affinity of the wild-type TCR, so that affinity of mutants of the TCR have increased affinity for the cognate pepMHC (the original antigen that the T cells were specific for). Thus, the wild-type TCR was used as a template for producing mutagenized libraries in one or more of the CDRs, and mutants with higher affinity were selected by binding to the cognate peptide-MHC antigen.
In the present disclosure, a wild-type T cell receptor and high affinity T cell receptors specific for the Wilm's Tumor-1 (WT1) engineered by yeast display are disclosed. WT1 is a transcription factor that has been described to function both as a tumor suppressor and an oncogene. WT1 is expressed at high levels in leukemia as well as a variety of solid tumors (Sugiyama et al. (2010) Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 40(5) 377-387). It has been the target of vaccine efforts, and various adoptive T cell approaches using T cells with wild-type T cell receptors.
WT1 has been ranked number 1 in a prioritization list of the top 75 cancer antigens by the National Cancer Institute (Cheever et al. (2009) Clin Cancer Res, 15, 5323-5337). Accordingly, there is a need to identify agents, e.g., therapeutic agents, that specifically target this cancer antigen. The present invention provides in vitro engineered, higher affinity TCRs that can be used, e.g., in soluble form for targeted delivery in vivo or as genes introduced into T cells in an adoptive T cell setting.